The DPRK has said it is ready to halt its nuclear weapons tests if the United States stops its annual war games with South Korea. Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong made the remarks during his first interview with a Western news organization since assuming the post in 2014.

"So we did make a very logical proposal, we consider, to the US government. Stop the nuclear war exercises on the Korean Peninsula, then we should also cease our nuclear tests as well. If they believe that they can actually frustrate us with sanctions they are totally mistaken. It is really crucial for the United States government to withdraw its hostile policy against the DPRK," he said.

Ri Su Yong also warned that any attempt to pressure or punish the DPRK would only increase its resolve to resist and defend its sovereignty. He warned that if the US and the DPRK continued on the "path of confrontation" then it would lead to a "catastrophic result" for the world.

Meanwhile, South Korean defense officials said the DPRK fired what appeared to be a ballistic missile from a submarine off its northeast coast on Saturday. The US State Department says such launches are a clear violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions.